The modular principle in lens design: extreme color aberration correction study case (Invited Paper)

The modular principle in lens design represents a systematic approach to the synthesis of optical systems. Here, each module, which may be a lens, mirror, prism, or other element, as well as a group of elements, has its own specific function. That's the opposite of a brute-force approach, when one adds more elements, aspherical or freeform surfaces, without assessing their feasibility for an exact optical system. As a case study, we use a monochromatic system, where subsequently, one needs to add a polychromatic well-corrected channel of different spectrum. Large color aberrations, induced by the nominal monochromatic design, makes conventional lens color correction challenging. We propose an approach for extreme color correction, utilizing a modular principle that provides a workflow, resulting in a non-conventional, well-corrected design.